Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-29
HON. j. w. CATTELL DEAD.
A Distinguished and Honored Citizen
Passes Away.
Brief sketch OF the busy and Useful
Life OF the Ex Auditor or the
state OF Iowa.

The people of Iowa will be startled TO
hear of the death of Hon, Jonathan w,
Cattell, which event occurred at his home
near Des Moines on Sunday Sept. Goth,
Two days before he had met with serious
accident by falling from wagon, his in
iuries being such as proved TO be fatal,
In his death Iowa has lost one of her best
and most useful citizens. The Register
gives the following sketch of his life
Jonathan W. Cattell was born in the
county OF Fayette, Pennsylvania, June 20,
1920, He was consequently " years and
three months old at the time OF his death.
He remained in Pennsylvania until he be-
came of age. when he moved to Columbia
county, Ohio. Here, in the year 1S42
he was united in marriage with Miss
Deborah Ellyson, who now, after forty
FIVE years of very happy welded life, Is
left to grieve over his departure. In 1886
he and Mrs. Cattell removed TO the then
territory of Iowa, settling in Springdale
township, Cedar county, Six years later
the people called upon him to take the
clerkship of the District court, a position
he occupied for four years. Upon retiring
from the clerks office Mr.. Cattell was
elected to the State Senate from the county
of Cedar, Just then made Senatorial
district by itself. Here as everywhere,
he was worker. Both in committee and
in the Senate. this trait was conspicuous;
so that when he spoke, which was not
often, his associates listened, for they
soon found out that he had something to
say worth listening to. Such character.
istcs readily suggested him as a proper
person TO place at the head of the depart
ment of finance Accordingly he was
elected Auditor of State in 1858. The same
painstaking fidelity to duty marked his
distinguished career in this responsible
Office. He introduced improvements into
the manner of conducting the monetary
transactions of the State, as well rs in the
system of book. excepting During Mr.,
Cattell's incumbency, which covered
nearly the entire period Of the war, when
the expenditures were very heavy, the
work was greater than it had ever been
before; and it was we'll DONE honestly,
systematically, cautiously done. He was
three times elected, as no one had been
before him, and was very strongly sup
tirement from the Authorship, he re.
following fall QS65), to his great surprise
Republicans of Polk county to go back
to the Senate. Again in that body, he
was a member Of almost the ablest Senate
in the States history. In this body and
the one which followed which comprised
in its membership our present Governor
and many other strong men, Mr.. Cattell
was leader not because he sought
leadership, but because 1t gravitated to
him. While in the Senate, or shortly
after he became President of the State
Insurance Co., which position he retained
for some years. About five or six years age
Mr. Cattell removed to farm he owned
in Delaware township Polk county,
which has been his home since. In 1885,
he was again placed in charge of the
Office of Auditor of State. The ability
with which be conducted its affairs under
the very trying circumstances which sur
rounded his incumbency, his ready
knowledge of the duties of the position
after an absence of twenty years from
public life, were surprise to those not
intimate with him. His rulings upon
doubtful points in law were never in
huenced by those circumstances. or af
fected by any cXtraneous consideration
This office he left in January, 1886, since
which time he has lived quietly upon his
farm. Childless themselves Mr.. ant
Mrs. Cattell adopted and reared two
children; one, Mr. VIM. Ii. II. Cunning
ham, now a resident of the Territory Of
New Mexico; the other, Mrs. Edwin
Grimes, who with her husband and child
rem lived with her adopted parents. Tc
The afflicted wife and children will b'
given the heartfelt sympathy and kindred
grief ofthe entire State.